Director Christian Sesma explains why Jaws star Richard Dreyfuss returned to the shark genre 50 years later for Into the Deep. The film follows modern-day pirates who are on the hunt for sunken drugs, when they kidnap a boat of tourists and force them to dive into shark-infested waters to retrieve the contraband. Into the Deep marks Dreyfuss’ first return to a monster movie in the waters since his role in Piranha 3D. The new film was released on January 24, 2025, and is now available to stream on Apple TV+ and available to rent or purchase on Prime Video.

During an interview with ScreenRant about Into the Deep, Christian Sesma revealed the challenges of convincing Dreyfuss to take on the project. Dreyfuss had been hesitant to return due to concerns about the portrayal of sharks in Jaws. He had strong reservations regarding the impact of such films on real-world ecosystems, along with the original Jaws writer, but it is unclear if this was Peter Benchley or Carl Gottlieb. Sesma further explained that Into the Deep positioned the sharks not as the villains, and this was what persuaded Dreyfuss to participate. Check out Sesma’s explanation below:

100%, for sure. It wasn’t an easy sell, and it wasn’t an easy sell the first time. This was really just a moral case of how he wanted to enter it or not, because him and the original writer of Jaws had a really strong opinion on how that movie affected the actual ecosystem, so they didn’t want to do that. So we wanted to make sure his idea of how his character was going to come on fit into the narrative. So, the pitch from the beginning, even the original script, was that the sharks were never really the true villain in this movie. They’re dangerous, and you’re gonna get mauled by a shark if you’re messing with sharks, but it wasn’t the creature feature villain of the movie. So, I think that was what attracted him, too. And I was like, “Okay, well, if we can do it this way and also kind of fit into the narrative of how I did the ending with Cᴀssidy’s cathartic moment of harmony with nature.” They’re not the villains, they’re not the bad guys. We’re just out of sync in nature here, so that attracted him to this, as well. So that plus he really wanted to have an eco message in the end. He was like, “Okay, I can get behind something like this.” But I thought that was something that, again, felt it was apropos for the film. You had a “shark movie” that didn’t make sharks the villain, and let’s really have a talk about this. And this is something that he really felt pᴀssionate about doing.

What This Means For Into The Deep

Dreyfuss Agreed With The Film’s Approach To Sharks

Instead of portraying sharks as mere antagonists, Into the Deep challenges the stereotype. Despite Into the Deep‘s lackluster reviews, the movie still offers an enlightened perspective on shark behavior. In Jaws, Dreyfuss portrayed Matt Hooper, a marine biologist. Hooper’s scientific curiosity and expertise stood in contrast to the fear-driven responses of other characters. In Into the Deep, Dreyfuss returns to a similar role, but this time the focus is on the misunderstanding between sharks and humans, rather than the sharks themselves being villains.

Additionally, director Christian Sesma’s pitch was essential to Dreyfuss’ re-entry into the creature-feature genre. By not framing the sharks as the villains, Into the Deep shows sharks and humans seen as both antagonistic and interdependent. While Dreyfuss had expressed reluctance about revisiting shark movies, and did not appear in any Jaws sequels thereafter, Sesma’s explanation sealed the deal for him.

Our Take On Dreyfuss’ Return To Shark Territory

Into The Deep Challenges Shark Misconceptions

Dreyfuss’ return to shark-related movies with Into the Deep is an interesting evolution for both the actor and the genre. Rather than relying on misconceptions about sharks, this film uses its premise to offer a new perspective on how sharks are viewed in the media. Dreyfuss’s involvement in Into the Deep points toward a desire for more aware narratives that still engage with action.